The history of Oktoberfest (2024)

FAQs

How much of Oktoberfest Netflix is true? ›

It's rather loosely inspired by some true events. Therefore, none of the main characters has the name of a real person. The main plot, however, is actually based on some historic events. Even though an Oktoberfest host by the name of Curt Prank never existed, the Oktoberfest literature tells us about Georg Lang.

Oktoberfest's roots can be traced back to 1810 in Munich, which is in the Bavarian region of Germany. On October 12th of that year, the future King Ludwig got married and invited the entire city to attend the celebration, which included a large feast and horse races.

O'zapft is!

This phrase is what the mayor of Munich shouts out every year to mark the start of Oktoberfest – and of course that is after he has successfully hammered a tap into the very first keg of beer.

The six brewmasters Andreas Brunner (Augustiner), Rainer Kansy (Hacker-Pschorr), Rolf Dummert (Hofbräu), Bernd Kräußel (Löwenbräu), Christian Dahncke (Paulaner) and Friedrich Geiger (Spaten) are the makers of Munich Oktoberfest Beers 2023.

Paris Hilton is permanently banned from Oktoberfest — The reality show star and hotel heiress attended the 2006 event clad in a shiny, golden dirndl to promote a brand of canned wine. Locals were offended by her take on the traditional Bavarian dress and prevailed on organizers to ban her.

Oktoberfest businesses and visitors definitely won't let something small get in the way of festivities, but war, bombs, cholera and Covid-19 were just some of the reasons Oktoberfest had to be cancelled. Several times in the course of history, the people of Munich have had to do without their Oktoberfest.

Don't chug a stein of beer!

Keep in mind that the beer served in the tents is special Oktoberfestbeer and usually is a bit stronger than usual German beer that already has a higher percentage than most beer around the world.

Prost! Translation: Cheers! Toss on an “Ein Toast!” at the end to encourage a celebratory “bottoms up!” before drinking your Märzen with friends.

Locally, it is called d'Wiesn, after the colloquial name for the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese. Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event.

What is Oktoberfest real name? ›

What is die Wies'n? Wies'n means "field" or "meadow" in the Bavarian dialect (the high German word is die Wiese). The locals in Munich will often refer to Oktoberfest as "die Wies'n” as a short hand for the festival's location, the Theresienwiese.

Oktoberfest is the biggest beer festival in the world celebrated since 1810 in the town of Munich. Over 6 million beer-loving people rush to Germany every year and consume almost 6.9 million liters of beer. This German beer festival is known for its traditional Bavarian costumes and delicious German food.

Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810.

Today, all Oktoberfest beers must be comprised of 13.5 to 13.99 percent original wort extract. The Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier thus achieves an alcohol content of around 6 percent. In comparison: The Paulaner Original Münchner Hell has an original wort content of 11.5 percent and an alcohol content of 4.9 percent.

Oktoberfest, a world-famous annual traditional German festival, is not just about beer and fun but is a major source of the city's economic growth. It's actually a €1.25 billion economic powerhouse for Munich while contributing up to 2% to its GDP.